Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network

06/02/2026

Maps don’t just show where fire might go, they can help communities prepare together.

When shared effectively, wildfire risk maps can:

🏡 Help neighbors understand their fire exposure
🧹 Inspire local defensible space projects
🤝 Build partnerships between agencies and residents

The magic happens when we turn data into dialogue, and risk into resilience.

📸 Are you using maps in your community outreach? Drop a photo or tag your team!

05/28/2026

📣 Let’s be real—disaster preparedness can feel like one more thing on an already full plate.

But a few quick wins can go a long way:
✅ Save emergency contacts to your phone
✅ Check visibility of signs and addresses
✅ Review your go-kit checklist

You don’t have to do it all at once. Just start.

💬 Got a 5-minute preparedness tip? Drop it below!

05/19/2026

Prescribed burning isn’t just about improving ecosystem health and managing the natural fuels on which wildfires feed. It’s about building relationships, skills, and shared knowledge that make a big difference in a crisis.

For years, members of Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network in the Southeast US trained side-by-side, swapped lessons, and got comfortable working together—before the 2025 Table Rock Complex fire put their experience to the test.

See their story. Link in comments.

Fire Learning Network
Greenville Water
The South Carolina Forestry Commission
The Nature Conservancy South Carolina

05/14/2026

In today's , we take a trip to the blog archives for Jenifer Bunty's evergreen reflections on the challenges and importance of communicating about prescribed fire in communities still recovering from devastating wildfires.

Jenifer highlights practical strategies for building public trust, coordinating messaging across agencies, leveraging social media, and supporting communication teams during complex fire operations.

https://fireadaptednetwork.org/talking-about-lighting-fire-near-recently-burned-communities-communications-at-the-southern-blue-ridge-trex/

We are also pleased to release a recent video on how important partnerships are in building community trust around wildfire resilience in the Southern Blue Ridge. The link to the video, "The Power of Partners: Building a Fire Family in the Southern Blue Ridge" is in the comments!

By Jenifer Bunty, Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists

05/12/2026

From a couple of drip torches and meeting in a grocery store parking lot to supporting 50 burns and 20,000 acres annually— The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina's Southern Blue Ridge Burn Crew is an inspiring example of how we can live better with fire.

“Lighting a Path” traces the decade-long evolution of this crew, which has combined a people-centered approach, deep fireline experience, diverse expertise, and passion for the work to significantly increase capacity for good fire in region.

Head to the Blue Ridge Mountains to meet them! Link in comments.

05/07/2026

A community’s wildfire future isn’t determined by hazard alone.

Preparedness, social connections, infrastructure, recovery capacity, and local leadership all shape what happens before, during, and after a fire. The Wildfire Resilience Index takes a broader look at what actually makes communities resilient.

In today's blog, co-developers of the Index introduce the tool's utility and encourage practitioners to dive in.

Authors from National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), UC Santa Barbara share a new wildfire resilience tool.

05/05/2026

What does it mean to live better with fire?

For one of the country’s only high-school prescribed fire clubs, it means preparing the next generation of fire practitioners and
sharing the message of good fire—by showing it in action.

Visit the Dobyns-Bennett High School Pulaski Club in Kingsport, Tennessee, to see how. Link in comments.

04/30/2026

"A community smoke ready plan includes assessment of local vulnerabilities, plans for appropriate responses, strategies to alert residents and visitors about air quality and smoke, resources available to the community, and actions to take during a fire and smoke event."

In this week's blog, we revisit an excellent post from Liz Davy with the Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network (GYFAN), on developing smoke ready community action plans.

We are also pleased to release a recent video on smoke adaptations in the Yellowstone area. The video, part of the Fire Network's "Many Paths: Stories for a Better Future with Fire," is available in the comments.

https://fireadaptednetwork.org/living-with-smoke-in-the-greater-yellowstone/

Liz Davy of the Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network shares more about a program to support communities with smoke impacts from fire.

04/28/2026

Living with fire means also living with smoke.

Smoke can have serious health impacts, but there are things communities can do to better prepare residents and visitors alike.

With its high-elevation, fire-adapted landscapes, the Greater Yellowstone area is one of many places, particularly in the U.S. West, where communities are working to be more “smoke ready.”

See how - link in comments.

04/27/2026